Purchase alliance EMD welcomes Korean expansion

Swiss purchase alliance EMD (European Marketing Distribution) has added a South Korean partner. Supermarket group and candy producer Lotte expands the trade alliance’s reach beyond Europe and Oceania.

From gum to hypermarkets

EMD is gaining more clout now that Lotte, a conglomerate with headquarters in Tokyo and Seoul, is joining. Lotte, which started as a producer of chewing gum and chocolate, is today also active retail (accounting for twenty out of its fifty billion euro turnover). The group has more than 1,100 shops in Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam. In its Korean home market, it also has a joint venture with 7-Eleven.

Through EMD, the Korean group hopes to expand its private label range. For EMD members, the collaboration means more opportunities to market interesting products in Asia, while Lotte’s procurement team will have access to European manufacturers. EMD’s other members include Markant (which is strong in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland) and Dutch Superunie. Belgian Colruyt Group (also active in France and Luxembourg) has joined forces with the alliance for its private labels.